Brush assembly and a vacuum cleaner having the same

ABSTRACT

A brush assembly is provided which comprises a brush housing, and a brush disposed in the brush housing to contact a cleaning surface. The brush housing comprises a brush supporter dividing an inner space of the brush housing and supporting one side of the brush, and a connection passage fluidly communicating with the divided inner spaces.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2004-87144, filed on Oct. 29, 2004, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a brush assembly and a vacuum cleaner having the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

A vacuum cleaner draws in dirt from a cleaning surface using a suction force generated by a vacuum motor. The vacuum cleaner comprises a cleaner body having a dirt receptacle mounted therein and a brush assembly for drawing in the dirt in contact with the cleaning surface.

The brush assembly has a brush rotatably mounted therein to remove dirt stuck to the cleaning surface. The brush hits and scratches the dirt to unstick it from the cleaning surface, thereby achieving a more effective cleaning operation.

One example of the brush assembly is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication No JP11009521. According to JP11009521, a brush assembly comprises a brush, a brush housing in which the brush is mounted, a belt engaged with one end of the brush to provide a rotational force to the brush, and a brush supporter for supporting one end of the brush engaged with the belt and guiding the belt.

However, since the brush housing is required to have an additional space in its one end to install the brush supporter, a size of the brush housing increases. Also, since the brush cannot be mounted on the end of the brush housing where the brush supporter is installed, a cleaning efficiency deteriorates at opposite ends of the brush housing.

In order to solve the above problem, the belt may be engaged with an intermediate portion of the brush, not the end of the brush. However, in this case, since the brush supporter is positioned in the middle of the brush housing, the brush housing is divided into two chambers, and thus, a suction force is not transmitted to the chamber that has no suction passage.

Accordingly, the suction force is not evenly transmitted to the brush housing, which causes deterioration of the dust-collection efficiency of the vacuum cleaner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been developed in order to solve the problems in the related art. Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a brush assembly capable of evenly transmitting a suction force and a vacuum cleaner having the same.

The above aspect is achieved by providing a brush assembly which comprises a brush housing, and a brush in the brush housing to contact a cleaning surface. The brush housing comprises a brush supporter dividing an inner space of the brush housing and supporting one side of the brush, and a connection passage fluidly communicating with the divided inner spaces formed therein.

The brush supporter can divide the brush housing into a first chamber and a second chamber, and the first chamber may have a suction inlet formed on a side thereof. The connection passage can transmit a suction force transmitted to the first chamber through the suction inlet to the second chamber. The connection passage may have a V-shaped cross-section.

A width W1 of the connection passage may be from approximately 0.1 to 0.15 times a width W2 of the brush housing, and a length L1 of the connection passage may be from approximately 0.1 to 0.15 times a length L2 of the brush housing.

The above aspect is also achieved by providing a vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaner body, and a brush assembly connected to the cleaner body for drawing in dirt from a cleaning surface. The brush assembly comprises a brush housing, and a brush in the brush housing to contact the cleaning surface. The brush housing comprises a brush supporter dividing an inner space of the brush housing and supporting one side of the brush, and a connection passage fluidly communicating with the divided inner spaces formed therein.

The brush supporter can divide the brush housing into a first chamber and a second chamber, and the first chamber may have a suction inlet formed on one side thereof. The connection passage can transmit a suction force transmitted to the first chamber through the suction inlet to the second chamber. The connection passage may have a V-shaped cross-section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The above aspects and other advantages of the present invention will be more apparent by describing an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a vacuum cleaner having a brush assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a bottom of the brush assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the bottom of the brush assembly of FIG. 1 with a lower cover being removed;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a section of the brush assembly of FIG. 3 illustrating a brush supporter; and

FIG. 5 is a view taken along line V-V of FIG. 2.

In the drawing figures, it should be understood that like reference numerals refer to like structures and features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing figures.

Referring to FIG. 1, a vacuum cleaner 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a cleaner body 110 and a brush assembly 200 disposed under the cleaner body 110 and rotating at a predetermined angle.

The cleaner body 110 has filtering means (not shown) and a dirt receptacle (not shown) which are disposed therein, and has a handle 111 which is formed on an upper portion thereof and has an on/off switch 112.

When a user grasps the handle 111 with his/her hand and moves the vacuum cleaner 100, dirt is drawn into the cleaner body 110 from a cleaning surface through the brush assembly 200. The drawn-in dirt is collected in the dirt receptacle (not shown), while dirt-free air is discharged through the filtering means to the outside.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the brush assembly 200 comprises an upper housing 210, a brush housing 220, and a lower cover 230.

A vacuum motor or source 260 is mounted in the upper housing 210 to provide a suction force and a rotational force, and a pair of wheels 113 is disposed at opposite housings 211 to move the vacuum cleaner 100.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3, the brush housing 220 has an opening 220 e and a substantially arched or arcuate cross-section. The opening 220 e is a bottom of the brush housing 220 that faces a cleaning surface. The suction force is transmitted from the vacuum motor 260 to the cleaning surface through the opening 220 e.

A brush 240 has one end disposed at a right sidewall 220 b of the brush housing 220 and the other end disposed at a left sidewall 220 c of the brush housing 220.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a gear 240 a is formed at a side of the brush 240 and rotates in engagement with a belt 250 to provide a rotational force to the brush 240. The gear 240 a has flanges 240 b and 240 c formed at opposite sides thereof to prevent the belt 250 from being released from the engagement. The brush 240 as constructed above removes dirt stuck to the cleaning surface by hitting and scratching it.

A brush supporter 300 is disposed in the brush housing 220 to support the brush 240. The brush supporter 300 consists of a belt guide path 310 and left and right brush support recesses 310 aa and 310 bb.

The belt guide path 310 consists of the left and the right ribs 310 a and 310 b which are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance b2, and a bending rib 310 c connecting the left and the right ribs 310 a and 310 b. The ribs 310 a, 310 b and 310 c preferably extend from an inner surface 220 a of the brush housing 220 toward the opening 220 e of the brush housing 220. The inner surface 220 a has an arched or arcuate cross-section and surrounds the brush 240.

The belt guide path 310 may be formed integrally with the brush housing 220 or fabricated separately and attached to the brush housing 220 by welding, adhesive or other connecting techniques.

Preferably, the distance b2 is broader than a width b1 of the belt 250 so that the belt 250 rotates within the belt guide path 310 smoothly without being interfered with by the left and the right ribs 310 a and 310 b.

The left and the right brush support recesses 310 aa and 320 bb formed along the left and the right ribs 310 a and 310 b have a semi-circular shape. The brush 240 is seated on the left and the right brush support recesses 310 aa and 320 bb, and the flanges 240 b and 240 c are located outside the left and the right brush support recesses 310 aa and 320 bb to securely, rotatably hold the brush 240.

The bending rib 310 c of the brush supporter 300 is distanced from the inner wall 220 a of the brush housing 220 as much as width W1. The brush 240 is stably supported due to the presence of the brush supporter 300 and thus the belt 250 is stably guided.

The brush housing 220 is divided into a first chamber 330 and a second chamber 340 with respect to the brush supporter 300.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the first chamber 330 is a space nearer to the right of the brush housing 220, which is enclosed by the inner wall 220 a located in the arrow direction X from the right ribs 310 b, the right sidewall 220 b and the opening 220 e.

The second chamber 340 is a space nearer to the left of the brush housing 220, which is enclosed by the inner wall 220 a located in the arrow direction Y from the left rib 310 a, the left sidewall 220 c, and the opening 220 e.

Sizes of the first and the second chambers 330 and 340 depend on the location of the brush supporter 300.

In this embodiment, the first chamber 330 is larger than the second chamber 340 because the brush supporter 300 is positioned nearer to the left.

A suction inlet 221 is connected to the first chamber 330 and receives the suction force. The suction force transmitted through the suction inlet 221 is transmitted to the opening 220 e of the brush housing 220 so that dirt is drawn from the cleaning surface and flows into a dirt-collecting chamber of the cleaner body 110 through the suction inlet 221.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the brush housing 220 is provided with a connection passage 350 fluidly communicating with the first and the second chambers 330 and 340. The connection passage 350 is formed by distancing the bending rib 310 c of the brush supporter 300 from the inner wall 220 a of the brush housing 220 as much as width W1 as described above.

The connection passage 350 has a length L1 and has a V-shaped cross-section. The suction force is transmitted from the first chamber 330 to the second chamber 340 through the connection passage 350, and the dirt moves from the second chamber 340 to the first chamber 330 through the connection passage 350. Unlike the conventional case, due to the presence of the connection passage 350, the suction force is smoothly transmitted between the partitioned spaces of the brush housing 220.

For the smooth transmission of the suction force and movement of the dirt, it is preferred that the width W1 of the connection passage 350 is from 0.1 to 0.15 times a width W2 of the brush housing 220 and the length L1 of the connection passage 350 is from 0.1 to 0.15 times of a length L2 of the brush housing 220.

Although the connection passage 350 may have various shapes such as a V-shaped cross-section and a U-shaped cross-section, the connection passage 350 of the V-shaped cross-section is more preferred because it is automatically formed if only the bending rib 310 c of the brush supporter 300 is distanced from the inner wall 220 a of the brush housing 220 as much as width W1. Also, it is more preferable to form the connection passage 350 in the above manner than in a case of forming the connection passage 350 on the brush supporter 300 separately.

Referring to FIG. 2, the lower cover 230 partially covers the opening 220 e of the brush housing 220 and the belt 250, and has a plurality of suction ribs 231 that each have a rectangular shape between which the dirt is drawn in.

Hereinafter, operation of the vacuum cleaner 100 having the brush assembly 200 according to the present invention will now be described.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a suction force generated by the vacuum motor 260 is transmitted to the first chamber 330 of the brush housing 220 in the arrow direction A through the suction inlet 221 of the brush assembly 200. The suction force transmitted to the first chamber 330 is transmitted to the second chamber 340 through the connection passage 350 in the arrow direction B.

Simultaneously, the brush 240 receives a rotational force transmitted from the vacuum motor 260 and the belt 250, thereby hitting and scratching the dirt on the cleaning surface.

After then, the dirt is unstuck from the cleaning surface by hitting and scratching of the brush 240 at the first chamber 330, passes together with other dirt in the first chamber 330 through the suction inlet 221 in the arrow direction D and are collected in the dirt receptacle (not shown) of the cleaner body 110. Meanwhile, the dirt unstuck from the cleaning surface by hitting and scratching of the brush 240 at the second chamber 340 moves to the first chamber 330 together with other dirt in the second chamber 340 via the connection passage 350 in the arrow direction C, passes through the suction inlet 221 in the arrow direction D, and then is collected in the dirt receptacle (not shown) of the cleaner body 110.

Accordingly, the dirt both in the first and the second chambers 330 and 340 are smoothly transmitted to the dirt receptacle (not shown) of the cleaner body 110.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention as described above, since the brush assembly 200 has the brush 240 mounted therein, the vacuum cleaner having the brush assembly 200 works more efficiently. Also, since a suction force is evenly provided to the first and the second chambers 330 and 340 via the connection passage 350, dust-collection efficiency of the vacuum cleaner increases.

The foregoing embodiment and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. 

1. A brush assembly for a vacuum cleaner having a vacuum source, the brush assembly comprising: a brush housing in fluid communication with the vacuum source and having a brush to contact a cleaning surface and a housing opening in proximity to the cleaning surface, wherein the brush housing comprises: a brush supporter dividing an inner space of the brush housing into a plurality of inner spaces and supporting the brush; and at least one connection passage fluidly communicating between the plurality of inner spaces.
 2. The brush assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brush supporter supports only one side of the brush.
 3. The brush assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brush supporter divides the brush housing into a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber has a suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source, and wherein the at least one connection passage transmits a suction force transmitted to the first chamber through the suction inlet to the second chamber.
 4. The brush assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least one connection passage has a V-shaped cross-section.
 5. The brush assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein a width W1 of the at least one connection passage is from 0.1 to 0.15 times a width W2 of the brush housing.
 6. The brush assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein a length L1 of the at least one connection passage is from 0.1 to 0.15 times a length L2 of the brush housing.
 7. The brush assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brush supporter has at least one rib with a semi-circular recess for supporting only one side of the brush.
 8. The brush assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brush supporter has first and second ribs that each have a semi-circular recess for supporting only one side of the brush, and wherein the first and second ribs are connected with a bending rib for guiding a belt of the vacuum cleaner.
 9. The brush assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one passage is a single passage positioned between the bending rib and an inner surface of the brush housing.
 10. The brush assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first and second ribs and the bending rib extend from the inner surface of the brush housing towards the housing opening.
 11. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaner body; and a brush assembly connected to the cleaner body for drawing in dirt from a cleaning surface, wherein the brush assembly comprises: a brush housing having a brush to contact the cleaning surface, wherein the brush housing comprises: a brush supporter dividing an inner space of the brush housing into a plurality of inner spaces and supporting the brush; and at least one connection passage fluidly communicating between the plurality of inner spaces.
 12. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 11, wherein the brush supporter supports only one side of the brush.
 13. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 11, wherein the brush supporter divides the brush housing into a first chamber and a second chamber, wherein the first chamber has a suction inlet formed on one side thereof, and wherein the at least one connection passage transmits a suction force transmitted to the first chamber through the suction inlet to the second chamber.
 14. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one connection passage has a V-shaped cross-section.
 15. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 14, wherein a width W1 of the at least one connection passage is from 0.1 to 0.15 times a width W2 of the brush housing.
 16. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 14, wherein a length L1 of the at least one connection passage is from 0.1 to 0.15 times a length L2 of the brush housing.
 17. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 11, wherein the brush supporter has at least one rib with a semi-circular recess for supporting only one side of the brush.
 18. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 11, wherein the brush supporter has first and second ribs that each have a semi-circular, recess for supporting only one side of the brush, and wherein the first and second ribs are connected with a bending rib for guiding a belt of the vacuum cleaner.
 19. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 18, wherein the at least one passage is a single passage positioned between the bending rib and an inner surface of the brush housing.
 20. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first and second ribs and the bending rib extend from the inner surface of the brush housing towards a housing opening of the brush housing that is in proximity to the cleaning surface. 